Nespresso Essenza Mini Review
Reviewed by Jennifer
Rating: 4.5 Stars
The Nespresso Essenza is a great little machine……If you’re coming to the conclusion that small is the order of the day, you’re right. This one is no different, and when seated next to its optional but recommended accessory, the Aerocino milk frother, it’s almost toe to toe in height.
Two additional color choices help give your intended room of placement some punch, and the size and weight makes it ideal for taking it places.If you’re in the market for a genuine single serve espresso maker, we highly encourage you to give the Essenza a look.
Table of Contents
Features
- A 19-bar pressure pump
- Espresso and Lungo settings
- 25-second average preheat time
- Auto-shutoff that goes into effect after 9 minutes of inactivity
Essenza Mini Colors
Color choices (if you choose the De’Longhi version): Black, Red, and Lime (a yellowish-green chartreuse color – very tasteful)
If you opt for the Essenza Mini made by Breville which is differs only in its outside appearance, it comes in black or white (which is an off-white, ivory shade, consumers said.)
Dimensions
Well, the Essenza Mini is another little lightweight here – measurements are 4.3″ by 12.8″ by 8.1″. Most of the girth is visible from a side view in which case you can see the water tank at the back, and a weight of 5.1 pounds. The power cord is 36 inches.
I verified the dimensions over at the manufacturer site……In the Spec list, it looks interesting: 110 by 325 by 205 (l x w x h in inches) I take it the decimal points are missing? The weight given is 2.3 lbs, and the water tank capacity 0.6 oz…Now usually that website is up to date, but those metrics kind of put me off a little – however the other info provided looked accurate and checked out.
So the page on Amazon looked more accurate for this model.The max height of a cup that can go in with the drip tray in place is about 4″. Not a whole lot of wiggle room, unless you remove the drip tray.
What’s Included
Along with the machine is a welcome kit that includes the bonus package of 16 Original Line capsules, and an information folder. This is assuming you don’t choose the bundle option with the milk frother.
Water Tank
The Essenza’s water tank is more easily viewed from the side view – , believe it or not, it’s even smaller than that of the Pixie or the Inissia at a petite 20.3 oz. Like those two, it’s semicircular shaped and removes from its location for easy refilling and filling.
Drip Tray
The drip tray is actually a small platform as opposed to a fold-out/up tray – it has a plate, base that can be removed to make a little more room.
There is also the used capsule inner bin contained within the unit that the spent pods automatically drop into.
The inner bin holds up to 6 capsules.
Buttons and Controls
Once again, just like its other two siblings mentioned earlier, there are two buttons at the top for Espresso and Lungo, no power universal button. You can program the Auto-off to turn off right away or disable it altogether.
    
The icons themselves are minimalistic looking; can you tell easily which is Espresso and which is Lungo? I for one kind of find it tricky 🙂 They just differ in size – Lungo is the bigger one on the right.
Basic operation below- inserting a capsule sideways as shown…
The Essenza Mini uses Nespresso OriginalLine capsules…which are a proprietary brand, in the next section I talk about other options.
Nespresso Aeroccino3 Black Milk Frother
Compatible Accessories
To make the most of your experience…there are several additional items to consider including:
- Peet’s coffee pods, which are labeled compatible with Nespresso OriginalLine
- SealPod reusable capsules – also the correct capsule size
- Aeroccino 3 : Heating milk frother which is sold separately if you don’t choose the bundle option. Heated frother milk can make your beverage experience even better.
Two Different Essenza Minis Compared
There’s an important point I want to make right here and now and that is the fact that there are actually TWO different Essenzas for your consideration. De’Longhi and Breville both make an Essenza in which the function is pretty much on par but the design is a little different, esthetically speaking.
Personally I like the looks of the De’Longhi better with that nice little triangular design; plus I love that Lime color in which it’s hard to call it yellow and hard to call it green – it’s a great color nevertheless 🙂
| Model | Dimensions | Reservoir | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Measurements: 3.3" by 12.9" by 8" and 5.1 lbs | 20.2 oz Water Tank | Piano Black and White |
 | Measurements: 4.3" by 12.8" by 8.1", 5 lbs | 20 oz Water Tank | Black, Red, and Lime |
Essenza Mini Consumer Reviews and Ratings
Great ratings. Not too much to dissect here as I’ve seen well enough that this beauty does what it says and what I say it does right here. It’s got a nice small footprint, compact yet powerful, produces great crema, great tasting coffee, very few negative comments regarding temperature or function.
So in honesty, I don’t have hardly any bones to pick. Is that surprising? After all, nothing is perfect out there – I think the only cautionary remarks I came across were that you h ave to be a little more mindful of emptying the used capsule bin, as it holds fewer than its brethren I’ve reviewed and getting the hang of the milk frother at times can take some guesswork with regard to milk types and understanding how the whisks work, but other than that -nothing really bad at all stands out. Wow – nice, right?
Another thing I’d like to stress…there are some non-proprietary capsule brands that are compatible with this model. It is very important though, to point out that they are the exact same size and shape as the Original Line of capsules.
Pros
- Nice compact size
- Color choices
- Auto-off after 9 idle minutes
- Expedient heatup time
Cons
- Make it a habit to empty the inner bin regularly; as it is prone to being clogged if forgotten about
- Can only use the Nespresso capsules with operation
Price
Not too bad on the price…Interestingly enough at the time of writing the lime version (my favorite) had the lowest price , which is usually not the case with multiple color options. If you are seeking the bundle option that includes the Aerrocino, you would be looking at about a $40 savings overall as the milk frother is a close to $100 value when purchased alone.
Also don’t forget to check eBay too as I just caught sight of a few listings (new and open box, and all colors too)Â that were under $100 which is a great deal:
The Verdict: Very Good
All in all….a really good choice. If you’re looking for a winner, this is it. I hope you consider the bundle as it will give you the most bang for your buck (but if not and you can find another kind of frother, that’s great too as any kind will make your experience the best it can be.) Small -Check. Works well – Check. Produces great coffee? Check check and check!
